No Longer Bulletproof
by ChocoboHuntress
Summary: Vincent Valentine was doomed to live out a life of eternity alone, watching friends and loved ones grow old and die. Something happens and he realizes that he may have a new lease on life. A life that may include a certain martial artist... (Former fic removed and re-edited. Enjoy!)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **As wonderful as it would be, nothing involving Final Fantasy VII belongs, not to me, but the wonderful Square-Enix.

**Author's Note: **_So, I have enjoyed reading many fanfictions over the years, and thought that I would give it a try. I know the Tifa/Vincent pairing is a bit overdone, but it's one of my favorite pairings. Constructive criticism would be appreciated!_

_Some of you may recognize this as a previous fic that I wrote earlier this year. I've removed it and did some tweaking to the story so, while much of it is the same, there are definitely some differences. Enjoy!_

"Hellooo? Earth to Vincent!" a voice was saying.

Vincent shook his head as if to pull himself out of a trance. "Hm? Oh, I apologize." He stretched his neck from side to side in an attempt to snap out of his reverie. _Why have I been so tired lately?_

"Zoned out there for a sec, huh?" his former comrade said jokingly.

"I suppose so. Just watching the snow fall. Roads are getting a bit icy, too. Did you need something, Tifa?" he asked.

"Well, we were just sitting down to dinner and I wondered if you were going to join us or stare out the window all day?" the brunette fighter said with a smile on her face.

"Yes, of course," Vincent said. He stuck an arm out in a "you first" gesture. "Lead the way."

The smell of Tifa's cooking filled the air as he neared the bar. Some of the tables were pushed together to make one large one. Looking around, it would almost seem that the whole group was together again back on the Highwind. Everyone looked up as he and Tifa came into the room. Even then, most of the people at the table avoided eye contact with him.

_It really IS like we're back on the Highwind. They're still uncomfortable around me. I guess some things don't change. Not that I blame them, really._

He settled down in an empty chair at one end of the table. Tifa bustled around, making sure everyone had enough food and drink.

"Teef! For cryin' out loud, would ya just sit down? Yer makin' me nervous, woman!" Cid, the grizzled pilot said jokingly.

"Hush, Cid. Just give me a minute," Tifa said, slipping next to Marlene to help her cut up the meat on her plate.

Tifa puzzled Vincent. Perhaps twenty-some odd years spent in a coffin made one leery of others, but there was just something about her that stuck with him. She was always helping others, always putting their needs ahead of hers. And all the while, she would have a big smile on her face. But that smile never quite seemed to meet her eyes.

He thought back to their journey as a group in their search for Sephiroth. He remembered the first time that he saw her.

_Cloud had pushed the lid off of his coffin and spoken to him. After determining that we were all after Hojo and Sephiroth and Shin-Ra, albeit for their own individual reasons, he accepted their offer and joined them._

_Tifa had been there next to Cloud. She was the one who smiled at him encouragingly when he hesitated as they were leaving the mansion. "It will be okay," she had said. How could she know? She couldn't possibly know what could happen. What HAD happened. And how a large part of it was HIS fault._

He brushed the thought away. That part was over now. Sephiroth was defeated. Hojo was gone and so was Meteor. The remnants had been disposed of and Geostigma had a cure. The Planet was healing, yet he still carried so much guilt with him.

"Vincent, did you need more to drink?" Tifa interrupted his thoughts, pointing at his glass, which was nearly empty.

"I will get it. Please; stay and eat. You have worked very hard to make such a wonderful meal. It would be a shame that you wouldn't partake in it yourself," Vincent said politely.

He made his way behind the bar and refilled his glass. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the counter and watched the interactions from afar. Everyone was talking and laughing and having a good time. They all promised to have these sorts of gatherings at least a few times a year. Vincent often tried to back out of them, but Tifa always insisted that he come. She was incredibly persuasive, which was strange to him. As a former Turk, he should have been able to resist her pleas with no trouble.

And yet, here he was. He just couldn't say "no" to her.

Tifa was now trying to calm an argument between Denzel and Marlene. Though they weren't her own children, she had taken them in and acted as their mother. She was always caring for those who needed it. She was the "mom" of the group. She made most of the meals for them, healed them when they were injured, and kept the morale up when things got gloomy. Even now, with no Sephiroth or anything of that sort, she was still mothering everyone and she smiled the whole time.

_How does someone smile so much? I mean, she's obviously not actually that happy. Why pretend otherwise?_

He shook his head and rejoined the gathering just as Tifa was serving her homemade pie for dessert.

"There you are, Vincent. We thought you got lost," she chided gently. "We were just commenting on the weather. It's been snowing like crazy out there! It might be a bit dangerous for you guys to head back tonight. There's zero visibility and Cid doesn't want to risk crashing the airship."

"So, we were thinking of having a big sleepover, just like old times!" Yuffie said excitedly, bouncing up and down in her seat.

Vincent winced inwardly. Not that he had anyone or anything to go home to, but the thought of spending too much time around so many people was unsettling for him. After looking out the window, though, he realized that Tifa was right. For anyone to travel in the storm, especially at night, would probably not be the best idea.

"Well, Cid and Shera can share my bed. It's the biggest one. We've got a futon that Yuffie can use. Barret and Red can each take one of the kids' beds, and…"

"But where are WE going to sleep?" Marlene wailed.

"Calm down, Marlene. I'm getting there," Tifa said patiently. "Cloud can keep his bed and Marlene and Denzel can use their sleeping bags on the floor."

"Like we're camping?" Marlene asked excitedly.

Tifa beamed at the little girl. "Just like camping. If we have enough blankets, maybe we can put a tent together for you guys. She looked to Vincent. "Do you mind sleeping on the couch, Vincent? I know it's not the most comfortable, but…"

"And where would you be sleeping, Tifa?" Vincent asked quietly. "Perhaps you should take the couch."

"Oh, no, Vince. I'm just gonna crash on the armchair or the loveseat in the living room. You're much taller than me, so you should be on the couch," she said. The tone in her voice honestly made her sound like she really was everyone's mom and that she was calling the shots.

"Very well," he said.

"Okay, then. Now, how about you guys head on into the living room? Maybe Cloud can start a fire so we can all stay nice and warm tonight," she said.

The various group members stood and made their way out of the bar and up the stairs leading to the main house. Shera began gathering plates up, but Tifa stopped her.

"I've got it, Shera, don't worry," she said.

"Tifa, I'm pregnant, not disabled," Shera said, laughing.

"No, really. I'm just going to toss these in the sink and I'll be in."

Shera looked about to protest, but Cid had come up and embraced her from behind. "Don't worry about it, darlin'. 'Sides, Tifa could clean this whole bar by the time we got you up the stairs!" Cid joked as he rubbed Shera's swollen belly.

"Cid, you being nice isn't ever going to stop being weird, is it?" Tifa said laughingly.

"Whaddya mean by that, Lockhart? I'm always nice!" he said. At that, both Tifa and Shera burst out in giggles while Cid started helping Shera up the staircase.

Relieved with the newfound quiet, Vincent felt himself relax slightly. He rose from his chair and gathered up the used dishes to bring to the kitchen. When he got there, Tifa was at the sink washing a plate.

"So much for just leaving them in the sink, no?" Vincent said quietly as he approached her.

Tifa smiled sheepishly. "Alright, you've caught me. What do I need to do to buy your silence?" she laughed lightly.

"Nothing at all. Simply making an observation," Vincent said, placing the dishes in the sink. He picked up a towel and took the plate from Tifa's hands. He dried it and placed it in the cupboard above their heads.

"Oh, Vincent, you don't have to help me. Why don't you join the others?" Tifa said.

"Let's just say that I've reached my quota for socialization," he said, drying another plate. "For the year," he added.

Tifa chuckled. "I sometimes feel the same way. I love seeing everyone, but at the same time, I can use a break."

At that, Vincent snorted. "Tifa, in the years that I have known you, you have never had a break."

Tifa looked up at him. "What do you mean, Vincent?"

"You've never taken a day off from being you. You are always the chef, the maid, the teacher, the confidante," he said emphatically. "You are young and beautiful. You shouldn't spend all of your time taking care of other peoples' needs. You should…live a little, I suppose."

Tifa momentarily looked confused then, laughed. "Vincent, are you, of all people, telling me to live? This coming from the man who locked himself away for decades?"

Vincent became serious. "Tifa, I am speaking from my experience and my mistakes. I shut myself in that basement to avoid my guilt, my responsibilities." He avoided her eyes.

The girl's face changed to one of concern. "Vincent, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought all of that up. It was rude of me and I shouldn't make fun of you." She reached out and touched his arm out of comfort.

Vincent flinched slightly. "It isn't a big deal. I just don't want to see you waste your life as I did mine."

Tifa smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Vincent. I appreciate your concern. Really, though, I'm okay. Why don't you go join the others?"

Vincent continued drying dishes and putting them away. He heard her let out a short sigh, but glancing sideways he saw a tiny smirk on her face. After he had placed the last glass into its proper spot, he walked back out to the bar and waited for Tifa. She emerged a few moments later, wiping her hands on her jeans.

"Shall we, then?" she asked.

He nodded and followed her up the stairs.

He could hear the others laughing and talking before they even reached the living room.

"'Bout time you two got here! What took ya so long?" Barret said as Tifa and Vincent each took a seat.

"Smooching in the kitchen?" Yuffie said mockingly, puckering up her lips.

"Ha! Vinnie and Tifa? Not likely," Cid joked. Vincent rolled his eyes. He was willing to ignore it, but Tifa shot back.

"We were doing the dishes, for crying out loud. Not that big of a deal, guys," she said.

"Oh, is that what the kids are callin' it these days?" Cid teased.

"Well, so what if we were? Not that it's any of your business. What would you guys care?" Tifa said nonchalantly. Vincent's eyes widened slightly.

"I think she was tellin' the truth, man," Barret said. "'Sides, it's not like Vinnie woulda made a move on her. If she didn't kick his ass, Spikey sure would!" He, Cid, and Yuffie laughed.

Vincent rolled his eyes again and looked at Cloud's reaction. He looked fine, but his eyes had flashed at the mention of Tifa kissing another man. Vincent pondered to himself. Were they a couple? Nobody ever really knew. He had always just assumed Cloud was overly protective of Tifa, but was there more to it than that? He remained lost in his head while the others talked.

While being lost in his own thoughts was a fairly normal event for him, he found that he'd been doing it a lot more lately. He just felt _off_. Not ill, exactly, but definitely a little weird. He shrugged it off, dismissing it as a reaction to the change in seasons.

"…time for bed," he heard Tifa saying awhile later. Marlene and Denzel were frowning and making fussing noises, but got up anyways.

"I'm gonna tuck these guys in and then I'll be right back, guys," Tifa told the group as she led the kids upstairs.

Vincent settled back into the armchair he was sitting in and observed the group as they continued the conversation. After getting the kids to go to sleep, Tifa rejoined them. She plopped down on the floor between Yuffie and Nanaki.

"So, back to Tifa's love life…" Yuffie said jokingly.

"Aw, c'mon, Yuff. Give the gal a break," Barret said.

"Thank you, Barret. I'm more interested in the goings-on in the Highwind household. How far along are you now, Shera?" she asked.

"Almost eight months," the woman said, placing a hand on her belly, smiling.

"I'm so excited! I will totally babysit for you guys whenever you want!" Yuffie said cheerfully.

"I don't think so, ya little materia thievin' brat," Cid said.

"Hey!" Yuffie said.

"Really, though, having a baby around will be so much fun!" Tifa said, attempting to distract Yuffie. The others agreed and added their own thoughts.

Vincent listened in quietly as they discussed various topics from baby Highwind to Barret rebuilding Corel to Cloud talking about the delivery business. He watched Tifa, mostly. She joined in from time to time, but spent most of it listening and absentmindedly scratching Nanaki's ears, which he uncharacteristically seemed to welcome. The red dog-like creature usually resented being treated as a pet, but here with Tifa, he seemed to actually enjoy her touch.

A few hours passed and the conversation slowly ebbed. Tifa stood and stretched.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for bed," Shera said.

"Me too," Barret said, stifling a yawn.

"Well, Cid, Shera, you guys know where my bedroom is, so you go ahead on up. You too, Barret, Red," she said. "Yuffie, I'll help you set up the futon upstairs."

Everyone headed off to their assigned sleeping spots and Vincent sighed. The peace and quiet was nice after all of the commotion of the evening. He stood at the window and watched the snow fall until the sound of footsteps behind him made him turn around.

Tifa stood there with a mountain of pillows and blankets in her arms. "How many blankets do you need, Vincent? I've brought plenty, so take as many as you need, okay?"

"Tifa," Vincent said, taking the pile of blankets from her. "I will be fine. Why don't you lie down? You look exhausted."

"I'm alright, Vince. It's only 11:00. I'm used to a barkeep's hours," she told him. "Speaking of which, would you like a drink?"

He paused, considering. "I suppose a drink or two would be fine," he said, following her back down to the bar. He sat at a stool while she went around to the other side. After rifling through the cabinets for a moment, she found the bottle she was looking for. She poured some for both of them and lifted her glass to him.

"Should we toast?" she said half-jokingly. "How about…to old friends?"

Vincent clinked his glass against hers softly. "To old friends, then," he said, his eyes meeting hers as he took a sip. "Tifa…" he began, setting his glass down.

"Hm?" Tifa mumbled as she took a sip of her drink.

"Are you…that is to say, um," he fumbled for a moment. "Are you okay? Is everything going well for you?"

She looked a little surprised at his question and cocked her head slightly. "What do you mean?" she asked.

_What do you mean, "What do you mean"? It's a fairly straightforward question, Tifa._

"I mean, are you…well, are you happy?"

She froze. She brought her eyes up to meet his, but almost immediately looked away. "I, well…I'm hanging in there. It's not perfect, but life never is, is it? We all have ups and downs and I'm just doing the best that I can," she said with a half-hearted smile on her lips.

She was a terrible liar. Bags had formed under her eyes. Her shoulders were slumped and she no longer laughed and flirted like she used to. There was weariness about her that she was fighting to hide. He figured that was why she smiled all of the time; to distract others from her own problems. There was no way her smiles were genuine. The brightness never quite reached her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow at her, expressing his disbelief. He locked his eyes on hers, not allowing her to escape his gaze. She blushed under this scrutiny and started twisting a lock of hair nervously.

Vincent drained the last few dregs from his glass and Tifa straightened up. "Want another?" she said, her barmaid persona showing through, regardless of the current mood. He nodded stiffly and watched while she poured. She caught him looking at her and blushed again. Or was it just the alcohol kicking in?

He noticed her reddened cheeks and couldn't help but to smirk slightly. The pink flush seemed to brighten her face. She was always fair-skinned, as he was, but she seemed to have taken on a ghostly pale hue as of late. The color made her look more alive.

"Would you like to go sit in the living room? The couch is probably more comfortable than a barstool," she suggested.

Vincent nodded and followed her back to the sitting area from before. Instead of sitting on the couch, though, she sat cross-legged by the fireplace, her refilled drink in her hand. The fire had died down, but was still plenty warm. She watched the remaining flames and took a big sip from her glass. Standing there awkwardly, Vincent pondered whether he should sit on the couch or join her by the fire. Did she want his company or was she attempting to block him out?

Tifa looked away from the fire and up at him. She almost chuckled at how uncomfortable Vincent seemed. She patted the spot on the floor next to her, encouraging him to join her. He knelt down beside her and for a while they just drank and watched the fire die down. Tifa set her glass down and off to one side and sighed.

Vincent set his glass down as well looked over at the girl next to him. He knew she had to be only, what, mid-twenties? Her haggard look appeared to be one of an older woman who had been through much strife in her days.

Strife…wait, was it Cloud? Was Cloud the cause of her unhappiness? He unconsciously clenched his fists.

_If he is the cause of her pain, I…_

What? What would he do? Whatever was between Tifa and Cloud was not his problem. Besides, he and Tifa weren't exactly close friends. He shouldn't butt in. It's not like he cared about her that much, anyway…

Or did he?

He sneaked a glance over at the young woman beside him. Of course she was kind and beautiful, but he cared about her as a friend. He wasn't worried about her in a romantic fashion, right? Then, what was this feeling of jealousy over Cloud?

_I have no idea what sort of bourbon Tifa served me, but it's messing with my mind._

A sniffle tore him away from his thoughts. He glanced again at Tifa just as a tear rolled down her cheek and immediately felt a wrenching in his heart.

_Or, at least, what's left of any heart that I had._ He thought sardonically. Though, he felt the urge to comfort her; to make the pain disappear. The last time he felt so strongly about a woman hurting was all of those years ago. With her.

_Lucrecia. You were hurting and I failed to save you._

Is that why he felt so guilty now? Because of Lucrecia? That must be it. He had these strange feelings because Tifa reminded him of Lucrecia. It made sense. Regardless of the reasoning, however, he couldn't bear to see her upset.

He scooted closer to her and slowly placed a hand on her shoulder. Tifa looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Eyes very much like his own, he noticed. A deep brown with hints of burgundy. Beautiful, intriguing, but there was almost a haunted look to them.

Not quite knowing what to do, he just rubbed her back and shoulder with the one hand. "Would you like to talk about it?" he asked quietly. "I don't know if I can fix what is hurting you, but I can listen, at least."

She sniffed again. "I don't know where to begin. I don't want to worry the others, either. They have their own lives to be concerned with. They don't need my problems, too," she said softly.

"Tifa," Vincent began, "I may not know much about friendship or love, but is that not what they are supposed to do? Friends are to look after and care for one another."

"Is that why you're being nice to me? Or is it because you pity me?" she asked him somewhat harshly.

Vincent flinched slightly at her tone. "I would consider you a friend, Tifa. I very much want to understand why you are hurting so that I can help make it go away. Yes, I know I seem cold, and maybe I am, but past experience has left me with less than stellar experience with friends. I am trying to learn how to be a friend again and how to have friends. Did you forget my long sleep in the basement? Let's just say I'm a little rusty on what I'm supposed to do."

At that, she gave a small chuckle and sniffled again. The tears had stopped, which was certainly a victory in Vincent's book. He removed his arm from around her shoulder and made to scoot back to give her some space.

"Wait," she said, turning towards him. He turned his head to look at her. She reached her hand out tentatively and brought it to his face. Vincent fought to suppress a shudder. Of fear? Anxiety? He didn't know. All he knew was he hadn't been touched by a woman in any way in almost thirty years.

He closed his eyes and felt her touch his cheek. Her hands were so soft. And _warm._ Vincent opened his eyes to see her staring at him, studying his reaction. He felt his pulse pick up speed. He wasn't wearing his cape, so his face was completely exposed, leaving him feeling very vulnerable and unsure of himself. Tifa was seeing all of him and he had nowhere to hide.

"Thank you, Vincent," she said softly. "It's nice to know that someone cares."

Her hand moved along his jawbone up to his hair. His black mane was long and messy. Vincent had given up on trying taming it in any way. Who would he be trying to impress? Now, he was almost embarrassed about it when she went to run her fingers through his thick locks. She simply tucked it behind his ear, and then did the same on the other side.

Now he felt even more exposed, but looking at her, he noticed a small smile on her face. Another forced grin to make him more comfortable? Without thinking, he brought his own hand to her face and did as she did, stroking her cheek. His hand slid down her delicate jawline to her chin. He lifted her face up slightly so he could see her, but as he pulled his hand away, his thumb brushed her lips.

Vincent paused, nervous of her reaction. His head felt a little hazy, like he was in a dream. That any moment, he'd wake up and he'd be alone again. He watched as she pulled her bottom lip in slowly and bit it as though she were nervous, though she didn't take her eyes off of him. She then moved towards him, closing the small gap between their knees where they were sitting.

Vincent's heart sped up. What was she doing? What was _he_ doing? Here he was, trying to comfort her and now his stomach had a fluttering feeling that he wasn't quite sure he wanted to stop. Of course Tifa was beautiful and he found her attractive, but this? He almost felt like a stupid teenager with a crush. He tried to push these thoughts away. Surely she didn't think about him like this. What woman would?

Tifa reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes. Vincent reached out and gently tucked it behind her ear, his hand lingering on her chin. Her eyelids looked heavy. Was she just tired? Or maybe the alcohol was having its effect on her and she didn't know what she was doing. But, they really hadn't had that much to drink. Was it possible she was doing this of her own accord? Did he dare find out?

Acting on impulse, and let's face it, probably hormones, too, he brought his face closer to hers. She didn't flinch, just widened her eyes slightly in surprise. She was as unsure of him as he was of her, but she hadn't pulled away. Her full, pink lips had curved into a small, gentle smile. Throwing caution to the wind, Vincent placed his lips softly on hers. She responded by pushing herself closer and resting a hand on his cheek.

After a moment, Vincent pulled back slightly to see her reaction. Instead of panicking, like he expected she would, she pulled him back in again before he could hesitate. Temporarily forgetting his earlier anxieties, he kissed her back. He ran his the tip of his tongue over her lips and her mouth parted, inviting him inside. He deepened the kiss even more, running his hand through her long hair.

Before losing himself completely, he regained control and broke off the kiss. His heart was racing, but he needed to stop before they went too far.

Tifa frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked. Her eyes reflected the confusion she was feeling.

"I'm so sorry, Tifa. I really should not have done that," Vincent said, trying to sound calm.

"Why? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, hurt replacing the confusion on her face. "I know I'm not as pretty as Lucrecia was, and I'm not trying to replace her. I just…" she trailed off as her voice began to shake.

"Tifa, you are a beautiful and amazing woman, but I can't," Vincent started, trying to find the right words. "I will not be responsible for causing a rift between you and Cloud," he said.

"Cloud?" she asked with a puzzled expression. "What the hell does Cloud have to do with this?"

It was Vincent's turn to be confused. "Are you not…involved? He seems so protective of you. I thought that you and he were together?"

"Hah!" she let out a short bitter-sounding laugh. "Cloud has shown zero interest in me. He is still in love with Aerith, deep down. He doesn't want me," she said, shaking her head. "Of course, you don't seem to want me, either," she said quietly, becoming serious. "I didn't mean to jump you like that, Vincent. I'm sorry," she said, looking away.

_Wait, why is she apologizing?_

"Tifa," Vincent said, clearing his throat. "Any man would be lucky to have you. Besides, I'm the one who should apologize. You were upset and I took advantage of you when you were vulnerable. No matter how…" he shifted uncomfortably. "…enjoyable that was, I promise that it won't happen again."

"What if," she said quietly, looking down at her lap. "What if I wanted it to happen again?" She carefully looked up at him, her face flushed from embarrassment.

Her words floored Vincent. Not only did this beautiful girl not flinch from his touch, but she wanted more?

_What could she want with a man like me? I do not deserve someone so kind and loving._

"Tifa…" he said carefully. "You don't want me. You're upset and you're not thinking clearly. I'm sure the alcohol isn't helping your judgment."

"Vincent, I feel fine. I know what I want. Yes, I've been having some troubles lately, but that has nothing to do with this! And you really think two drinks is gonna knock me out?" she said, the anger beginning to become apparent in her voice. "Dammit, Vince, you always just shut people out without giving them a chance! I'm clearly attracted to you and from what that kiss felt like, you are attracted to me as well. Why are you denying yourself any sort of fun or happiness?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Tifa," he said softly.

"Hurt me? I know I'm not invincible but, Vincent, you know I'm tougher than I look. You've seen me fight before," she said rolling her eyes. She hated when people treated her like some dainty little flower and he knew it.

"That's not what I meant," he told her.

"Then do you mind explaining? Because obviously I'm missing out on something," she said sardonically.

"Tifa," he began. He forced himself to look her in the eye. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to express his feelings, even if he didn't completely understand them himself.

"Tifa, you are one of the most beautiful women that I've ever seen. You are also one of the kindest, most caring people that exist on the Planet. You deserve the perfect man. One who can make you laugh and keeps you happy. A man that will always be there for you. I…am far from being that man. I barely even feel human. And you are right. I am quite attracted to you, but there's no way that I can be that person for you and I would hate to get your hopes up, only to disappoint you."

Vincent took another deep breath to calm his nerves, but caught himself holding it as he awaited her response. He let it out in a deep sigh, wondering why she hadn't punched him and kicked him out of her home or something to that effect.

_Of course she won't. She's Tifa. If anything, you'll end up as her new project of things to fix. She would do the complete opposite of abandon you. She's strange in that way; not like most others._

"Vincent, I don't know how many times it will take me telling you that you are not a bad person. I know you feel responsible for things that have happened, but it's okay now. You can't keep blaming yourself for things that were beyond your control," she told him. "Hell, you can't even say that you don't feel human. The demons are no longer there. Chaos is gone! Everything should be getting better for you, but you're still doing the same old song and dance over and over again!"

He hung his head. Deep down, he knew she was right, but that didn't make it any easier to accept.

"FurthermoreahdHaH," she continued. "We are both adults. If we want to have some fun and blow off some steam, we are more than allowed to do so. I'm not exactly demanding you marry me now that we've kissed," she said, half-laughing in an attempt to lighten the mood, but just sounding awkward instead.

Vincent shook his head in disbelief. Any self-confidence that he had was lost years ago. He never found himself to be, well, _desirable_. Yet, here was a woman who could have any man she could choose and she was here kissing _him_?

He stood up and tried not to appear flustered. "It is late, Tifa, and I've clearly upset you which, I promise, was never my intention." She had drawn her knees towards her chest and was resting her arms and head on them. She looked up at him, her expression unreadable. Vincent met her eyes, trying to show that he was sincerely apologetic, but found it difficult to look away.

Tifa slowly got to her feet as Vincent turned to go…somewhere.

_You idiot, it's the middle of the night with a blizzard going on. Where are you going to go and how do you plan on getting there?_

A hand on his arm gave him pause, but he didn't turn around.

"Vincent." He remained silent.

"Vincent, look at me," Tifa said, slightly more demanding. He turned to face her. Her cheeks were flushed and her pretty mouth was turned downwards. Even in her anger, she was still a sight to behold. She took a large step forward and closed the gap between them. Quickly, but ever so gently, she pulled him towards her and kissed him again. She pulled back after a moment and locked her eyes with his.

"Tifa…" he started, but she cut him off.

"Don't tell me you didn't feel anything just now," she said to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't tell me that you don't want it as much as I do." Her gaze bore into his and his heart fluttered in his chest.

Vincent's self-control was wearing down and he knew damn well that Tifa had picked up on this and was using it against him.

_Hm, maybe I _am_ just human after all, _He thought sarcastically. Eventually, he gave up. He would deal with the repercussions later.

"Just tell me one thing," he said evenly.

"Of course," Tifa said, her eyes brightening a tiny bit.

"Why…why me?"

Judging by the look on her face, she was clearly caught off-guard by his question. How could he expect an answer, anyways? She clearly was not being completely rational.

"I… don't know," she said reluctantly. "You've been a complete mystery to all of us from the moment we met. There's something about you; something that makes me want to know you better. To maybe become more than simple friends and acquaintances. I'm not sure, exactly, but does it really matter?"

_More than anything. Why are you attracted to such a broken creature like me?_

She sighed. "Vincent? Would you just kiss me for crying out loud?" With that, she pressed her body up against him, wanting to be nearer to him.

At this, any restraint that he previously held immediately melted away. He placed a hand on her shoulder and bent slightly to meet her lips. She eagerly kissed back, wrapping her arms snugly around his waist. Vincent placed his hand on her waist lightly, as if to ask permission. The smile he felt her lips form without even breaking the kiss told him that that was perfectly fine with her and he gently pulled her closer. She tried to move closer and her hips met his. He couldn't help but let out a soft moan when she brushed up against his, ahem, maleness.

_There's no way she did not notice that. What could she be thinking of now? Will I scare her off? Unless…did she do that on purpose?_

The came up for air after a few moments. He held her close while she looked up at him, her eyes holding a small look of mischief as she moved her body closer, this time obviously knowingly rubbing against him. Vincent attempted to hide his groan of pleasure by kissing her again, but she continued her maneuvers on his lower extremities and found it more and more difficult to do so.

Did she want more? He knew _he_ did, but he certainly couldn't do anything about it, what with all of their comrades, plus two children, sleeping just a floor above them. Surely Tifa realized this. But, as his pants began to feel tighter and tighter, he found himself gradually losing control.

"Tifa," he said to her. "We shouldn't. I mean, if the others see or the kids wake up…"

_That, and I'm afraid we'll go too far and both end up regretting it._

She let out a soft sigh as she rested her head on his chest. "You're right," she agreed grudgingly. "Can I at least have a good night kiss?"

Vincent bent his head and placed his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. He took a step towards her, causing her to take a step back, but not breaking the embrace. He did the same thing a few more times until she hit the couch and nearly fell onto it. Vincent pulled away gently and covered her with one of the blankets she had piled up for him to use. She looked about to protest, but he silenced her with a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't worry," he said. "The armchair is plenty comfortable enough for me. Sleep well, and I will see you in the morning." He settled into the plushy chair next to the couch, using the lever on the side to lean it back and prop up his feet.

"Good night, Vincent," Tifa said. "And thank you," she added, so quietly that he almost didn't hear it.

_Thank you? I should be kicking myself for my behavior tonight. You don't just go around kissing any girl that you please, Valentine! It's amazing that she didn't run off screaming into the night._

Vincent stared up at the ceiling, a hundred thoughts racing through his head.

_Well, why would she? I mean, what she said was true. Chaos is gone. The only monsters in your head are the ones you put there yourself, not Hojo._

He cringed at the memory of the deranged scientist. Hojo was responsible for much of Vincent's suffering. He shook his head as if to shake the thoughts away and glanced over at Tifa, who had apparently fallen asleep. Her face looked peaceful, not like the horrified look that she gave him when she thought he was rejecting her. She was breathing slowly and evenly, her lovely, full lips slightly parted. The same lips that had been on his not twenty minutes ago. Vincent's heart began to do that stupid flip-flop thing it had done earlier.

It was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **As wonderful as it would be, nothing involving Final Fantasy VII belongs, not to me, but the wonderful Square-Enix.

Unsurprisingly, Vincent was having trouble sleeping. The thoughts and memories in his head were keeping him awake.

_What's the matter with you, Valentine? Fawning over the girl like a lovesick teenager?_

Vincent shifted uncomfortably, his pants still just a little too tight. He certainly _felt_ a bit like a much younger man, what with the hormones acting up and whatnot.

_Too bad you're actually closer in age to her grandfather. Seriously, you need to stay away. She is way too young for you. _Chaos may be gone, but that didn't keep Vincent from arguing with himself in his head.

_But, I'm technically only twenty-eight._

_Yeah, but how long have you been twenty-eight? Far too long. And no matter how old you get, you will never change. Even if you were to miraculously find a woman to tolerate you, you would only be able to sit and watch her grow old and die while you stay exactly the same._

"Damn Hojo," he muttered under his breath. His body still bore the scars from the surgeries the mad man repeatedly performed on him. With Chaos and the other demons using his body as a host, they would never allow him to die, lest they die as well.

_But, Chaos is gone, and so are the rest! During the fight with Omega… The demons, the Protomateria! They were all destroyed after I defeated Omega. Could that mean… Am I no longer immortal?_

The revelation floored him. He looked back at Tifa, still sleeping soundly.

_Could I possibly…get old? Get sick? And, well… die?_

_Could I… start a new life?_

Vincent was more awake than ever, even as the sun was rising. His thoughts were still racing and his heart was beating almost impossibly fast. He stood up from the chair he was laying in and looked out the window.

He had an idea. Probably a stupid one, but when did he ever do anything right, anyways? He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pocket knife.

He rolled up his sleeve and opened the knife. He took a deep breath to steady himself and, using the tip of the blade, nicked himself on the arm. Just a small wound, not much larger than a paper cut.

He waited.

Nothing happened. At least, nothing in the sense that a few drops of blood flowed out of the tiny laceration, but it did not begin to heal. He waited five minutes. Ten minutes. Twenty.

He wiped the blood away with a tissue. No sign of new skin could be seen. It should have healed by now.

_That settles it. I'm completely free of Chaos and the others. I'm no longer immortal._

So, what was he going to do now? Everything had changed in no time flat. He took a deep breath again and let it out in a huff.

The sound of Tifa stirring broke him from his thoughts.

"Oof…" he heard her rustling around and standing up. He turned slowly to face her.

His timing was both awesome and horrible at the same time.

Tifa stood and stretched, bending down and touching her toes. As she stooped, he caught a glimpse of her ample cleavage. She then extended her arms above her head, her shirt rising as well, exposing her bare midriff. She finished off by cracking her back, like she did after almost every battle. She pushed her arms out behind her and puffed out her chest.

Of course, the instant she realized he was in the room, her eyes flew open, catching him gaping at her. She blushed ever so slightly, and then chuckled.

"Enjoying the view there, Vinnie?" she joked.

"Well, yes. Yes I am," Vincent replied, completely deadpan. Tifa laughed.

She really and truly laughed. It wasn't forced like the laughs at the dinner table last night. Her eyes were bright and matched her smile. She was nearly doubled over in laughter; a rich, musical sound that Vincent decided was the most wonderful thing he had ever heard.

"What's so funny?" he asked, confused. He didn't think it was _that_ humorous.

Tifa caught her breath, her face bright red. She shook her head as the last of the giggles left her system. "I honestly have no idea," she said. "I mean, catching you watching me like that with your jaw practically on the floor was pretty amusing, but for some reason I think my brain just decided to make it much funnier than it was. I guess I just got carried away."

_Speaking of getting carried away, you'd best do it now. You won't have the nerve to later on._

"Tifa? May I ask you something?" Vincent said hesitantly.

"Is this about last night?" she asked.

"Somewhat," he said. He ignored the eye-roll she just gave him. "Look, I don't know if last night was a fluke or what, but I've been thinking about it ever since it happened. No, let me finish, please," he cut her off when she opened her mouth to protest.

"I know you said you wanted me, but I don't know if we were just caught up in the moment or if it was real. I don't care to get my hopes up only to be disappointed, but most of all, I don't want to push you and end up having you regret ever speaking to me."

"Vincent…" Tifa began.

"I know you probably want to discuss this further, but I'd rather do so in a more private situation," he continued, hoping he sounded much calmer than he felt.

"Okay," Tifa said hesitantly. "What do you propose, then?"

"Well," he paused. "There is a small restaurant roughly halfway between our homes. Perhaps we could meet there, get dinner, and talk more?"

"Of course, Vincent," Tifa responded, sounding a little more cheerful.

Vincent let out the breath that he didn't realize he was holding. "Ah, okay. Great. Um," he hesitated.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking a little concerned.

"My apologies. I suppose I didn't really expect you to accept," he admitted. Tifa laughed.

"Why wouldn't I?" she said. "I would think that last night spoke for itself about how I feel about you."

"Right. So, you'll meet me then?" he inquired.

"Absolutely," she responded. "Now, would you like some breakfast? I was going to throw together some eggs and bacon and toast for everyone."

"No, I do believe I will get going. As I said last night, I have reached my socialization quota," he said, smirking. "But, I hope that I will see you later tonight."

"Of course. I'll see you later, then," she said.

"Thank you for putting me up for the night, as well," Vincent said, pulling on his cloak.

"Not a problem," she said as he walked out the door and into the cold.

The train pulled up at Vincent's stop and he disembarked, heading in the direction of his apartment.

_Now what, genius? Is asking Tifa on a date really the best idea?_

Shoot. Did she think that it was a date? _Is_ it a date?

_No, you just told her you wanted to meet up and talk. Not a date. Of course… you DID offer to buy her dinner, so…_

Vincent massaged his temples. This was all way too complicated for him.

Hours later, Vincent was staring at his reflection in the mirror. He had been trying to tame his wild mess of hair for the past twenty minutes with little success. Giving up, he pulled it back and tied it into a ponytail.

_Not what I was hoping for, but at least it looks better than normal._

He went to his wardrobe and pulled out his chosen outfit for the night. He finished buttoning up his dress shirt and pulled on his boots. He grabbed a heavy leather jacket to keep warm in on the walk there, forgoing his usual tattered cloak. Checking to make sure he had his wallet, he departed.

The distance to the restaurant wasn't too long, but Vincent still chose to walk rather than drive. He was early and he used it as an excuse to buy himself more time.

Why was he so nervous? It was just Tifa, right? Why did his chest feel as though there was a bird fluttering under his ribcage?

_Get a grip, Valentine. You're acting like a preteen girl!_

He let out a sigh and headed in to the restaurant where he found Tifa waiting.

"Vincent! You came!" she said happily, giving him a hug.

"I am more surprised that you came," Vincent replied. "I feared you would have changed your mind. You look beautiful, by the way."

Tifa blushed. She was wearing a maroon dress with a hem that fell mid-calf. It was more demure than most of her clothing tended to be, but Vincent found himself admiring her all the same.

"You look quite handsome yourself, Mr. Valentine," she said, looking up at him. She tentatively reached a hand up to brush his cheek. "I like your hair pulled back. It lets me see your face more," she said softly.

"I'd have worn my cloak, but it is a bit…ragged," he replied.

Tifa chuckled. "C'mon, let's go get seated."

They chose a corner booth where they could have a little more privacy. The tiny restaurant wasn't very busy, but it was still nice to get away from other people. They settled in to their seats and placed their orders with the waitress.

"So, did everyone get home okay?" Vincent asked, attempting to start some sort of conversation.

"Yeah. Cid made sure of it. Barret took the kids back with him to Corel, too," she said.

"Oh? They're not staying with you?" Vincent asked, somewhat surprised. Tifa loved having the kids live with her.

"No, they've been living with Barret. There's not really a proper school in Edge, but Corel has a new one that was just built last year. It will be much easier and more fun for Denzel and Marlene rather than homeschooling. They still visit pretty often, but I still miss them."

"Of course," Vincent replied. "Those two were like your own children. I can understand not wanting to let them go."

Tifa nodded. "Corel is safer, too, especially with Barret as mayor. It helps me, too. I can keep the bar open longer, so that has been helping business-wise. Besides, I'm not really ready to settle down with an eight and nine-year-old. I'm only twenty-four," she added, chuckling a bit.

"You seem older than twenty-four," Vincent said softly.

"Are you calling me old, Vinny?"

Vincent immediately panicked, thinking he'd offended her, but then noticed the mischievous glint in her eye.

"I'm just kidding, Vincent," she said. "I think we all seem older after all that we have been through." Vincent nodded in agreement. "By the way," she said, seeming reluctant to speak. "Um, would you…?"

"You want to know how old I am," Vincent said, anticipating her question. He sighed.

"You don't have to tell me if you are uncomfortable about it," Tifa said quickly.

"No, it's fine, Tifa. You deserve to know," he said. "As of this past October, I am sixty-one."

Tifa's eyes widened in surprise, but she recovered quickly. "Wow, I…"

"I know. I'm almost old enough to be your grandfather," Vincent said quietly. He searched Tifa's eyes with his own. "Does that…bother you?" he asked.

Tifa cocked her head slightly in confusion. "Should it bother me?" she asked. "It really doesn't. I mean, how old were you when you were a Turk?"

"I 'died' at twenty-eight, when Hojo shot me," he said, somewhat stiffly.

"So, you're twenty-eight, not sixty-one. Chronologically, you are older, but physically and in terms of life experiences, you are still young," Tifa argued.

"That may start changing soon," Vincent said quietly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, a concerned look crossing her face.

Vincent opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the arrival of their food. They ate in relative silence, but Vincent knew he'd be expected to explain his statement eventually.

After arguing over who would pay the bill, Vincent handed the waitress the cost and left her a tip on the table.

"I still wish you would have let me pay my half!" Tifa said as they walked to the front door of the restaurant.

"Nonsense. I invited you, so I was the one to pay," Vincent responded evenly. "Now," he said as he helped her put her coat on. "Let me walk you back home. It's dark and I would hate to leave a lady to get back alone."

Tifa grinned. "Normally, I'd say that I can handle myself, but I think I would enjoy an escort tonight."

He held out his arm and she took it as they stepped outside.

They arrived back at Seventh Heaven a little while later. The cozy warmth of Tifa's home was a welcome change from the frigid air outside.

Tifa kicked off her boots and headed over to the bar in bare feet. "Come on in for a bit, Vincent. Let me get you a drink," Tifa said, hanging up her coat. "What do you prefer?"

"Actually, I'll just take a glass of water," he replied. Tifa handed him his glass and led the way up the stairs to the apartment above the bar. She kicked off her high heels and padded over in bare feet to the couch in the living room. She plopped down and patted the cushion next to her, inviting Vincent to join her.

Vincent set his glass down on the small coffee table in front of the couch.

"Tifa," he began slowly. "About last night… I really hope that I did not take advantage of you."

Tifa's small smile faded slightly. "Vincent, I already told you. I started it. I wanted it. Honestly, I wanted more," she said, blushing.

"But, it was just a one-time thing right? Purely physical," Vincent asked.

"Only if that's what you wanted it to be, Vincent," Tifa said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I know that you loved Lucrecia and I don't know what your feelings for me are. I don't want to rush you into a relationship, but I also don't want to be another woman's surrogate. I'm kind of sick of that role, to be honest," she said, a little bitterly at the end.

Vincent paused. "Tifa," he said gently. "You're right, I loved Lucrecia." Tifa's eyes teared up. "Loved. Not love," he continued. "Past tense. I cannot say that I no longer care about her and my memory of her, but she is not the woman that I am in love with."

Tifa looked up, a tear streaming down her cheek. "Who _are_ you in love with, then?" she choked out.

"Oh, Tifa," he said softly, wiping the tears from her face. "I…I can't say. I know I've been out of that coffin for over three years now, but I'm still trying to figure out how my emotions work."

She seemed to take a moment to process that. "But…You still felt something last night, didn't you? Or was it only physical for you?"

Vincent looked into her burgundy eyes. "Tifa, I cannot say with certainty what I felt last night, but there was definitely…something? It confuses me, not knowing how to describe the feeling."

"Like you're happy, nervous, high, and scared all at the same time?" she asked.

"Actually, yes. That is fairly accurate. I don't know what it is, but I do find myself liking the feeling more than dreading it," he replied. "It's only when I'm with you. You're the one who excites me, yet confuses me, all at the same time."

"Vince…" she said. "I don't know what to say." She curled her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest.

"Well," he said. "I suppose what I would like to know is, where do you want to go from here?"

Tifa pulled back and brought her eyes level with his. Slowly, she closed them and drew Vincent into gentle kiss.

After a few moments, they broke apart. Vincent gazed into her eyes. "Tifa, I can't promise you anything. All that I can say is that I care about you and I don't want to let you go. I never, ever want to hurt you and my only wish is to see you happy."

Tifa sniffled and a few more tears escaped down her face. Vincent's brow furrowed as he wiped them away. "Tifa, did I say something wrong? Why are you crying?"

She let out a small laugh and had a big smile on her face. "Because I'm happy. I haven't felt this happy in quite a long time."

Vincent felt the corners of his mouth lift into a grin. "I think that is one off the first true, genuine smiles that I have seen on your face before."

"Well, you put it there, Mr. Valentine, so I certainly hope you like it," she said. "But, I do have a few questions," she added, suddenly more serious.

"Of course. What are they?" he asked.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? What changed?" she questioned.

"I've felt drawn to you from the beginning, but I brushed it off as being because you were one of the group that uncovered me. Then I just assumed that I cared about you, but only as a friend and that I was just protective of you. I never really let myself consider that there could be more." He paused slightly, taking a breath. "Tifa, what you said last night made me think. I need to make a few changes in my life and attitude. I'm giving myself a chance, too. I'm willing to give…_us_ a chance," he said sheepishly. "I spent most of last night considering how my life is going now. Chaos is no longer a part of me, Hojo is dead, and Sephiroth is gone. I'm running out of things to be angry at or guilty over." The last part made Tifa chuckle and even Vincent gave a small half-smile.

"I think I'm just trying to move on. I locked myself away all of those years out of guilt. I just wanted to forget everything that had happened. You and the others showed me that I didn't need to try to block out the world. I can't go back and fix what I did wrong or what I failed to do, but, with everyone here, I've at least helped make most of it go away."

Tifa beamed at him. "Vincent, that is the most wonderful thing that I have heard you say since we met you in that stupid mansion years ago!" She threw her arms back around his neck and kissed his cheek, making Vincent blush.

When they separated, Tifa said, "Just one more thing. Back at the restaurant, you mentioned stuff about your age?"

Vincent became more stoic again. "Tifa," he started. "Less than a year ago, during the fight with Omega, something happened. You know that Chaos and the other demons are gone, yes?" Tifa nodded her understanding.

"Well, the reason that I healed so fast was because of them. I was their vessel, and they were not going to let me die easily. Any aging effects were reversed by them; any injuries were repaired. Now that they are no longer inside of me…" he pulled up his sleeve, and showed her the cut on his arm. "…I no longer have those powers. This cut was from this morning. It should have healed _hours_ ago."

"But since the demons are no longer there to heal your body, it will go away in the time it would take an average person. So, what does that have to do with your age?" she asked.

"Aging is somewhat of a slowly progressing injury. Tissues break down gradually, bones get weaker, and organ systems slow down. I don't have the powers to repair these injuries, so…"

"So, you're going to start getting old, now?" Tifa asked, shocked.

"It certainly appears that way. As of that moment, I have resumed my life as it was when it was ended all of those years ago. I will grow older, and weaker, and eventually, I will die and return to the Lifestream, just like everyone else."

"I understand," Tifa said. "But, um, is this a good thing? You're saying that you want to die?"

"Yes, eventually," Vincent answered. "I don't want to live forever, Tifa. I don't want to sit idly by while me friends get old and die while I look the same and get left behind. I can have a normal life now and I'm absolutely thrilled."

Tifa smiled again. "Well, hopefully I still have you for a good, long time. I love that you are happy, but I'm not ready to let you go just yet!" she said, hugging Vincent tightly. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on the top of her head.

He wasn't ready to let her go yet, either.

They sat and simply enjoyed each other's presence for a few minutes until Tifa spoke up again.

"So, we didn't really finish our conversation," she said. "What…are we, now?"

"You mean like, as boyfriend and girlfriend?" Vincent asked, mildly puzzled.

Tifa nodded. "Not that I require a label or anything, but…"

"You want to know where we stand. I understand," he said. "Well, how about we are friends who are just trying something new to see where it goes?"

Tifa laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his neck. "That sounds good to me. No pressure, no official labels. Just Tifa and Vincent."

He smiled as he ran his fingers through her chocolate-colored hair.

"I like the sound of that," he agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **As wonderful as it would be, nothing involving Final Fantasy VII belongs, not to me, but the wonderful Square-Enix.

"Shit, Valentine! You 'n Lockhart are knockin' boots?" Cid sputtered while attempting to light a cigarette.

Vincent sighed and crossed his arms. "No, Cid, we're… just trying things out." He rolled his eyes at Cid's smirk at his statement.

It had been a few days since he had seen Tifa. Cid had asked him to come out to Rocket Town to help him work on the airship, _Shera,_ after she'd taken some damage during the snowstorm.

Cid successfully lit his cigarette, took a puff, and then settled down on a stool, hiking his feet up on top of the work table in front of him.

"Trying things out, eh? Sure sounds like more, way you been talkin' 'bout her," Cid said.

"We've not gotten to that point," Vincent said evenly, taking a seat near the hangar's space heater and wiping his engine oil-coated hands on his work clothes.

"Either way, what I wanna know is, is where the hell did all of this come from?" Cid asked, tapping the ash from his cigarette into a nearby ashtray.

Vincent let out another sigh. He knew the pilot was just attempting conversation, but did he have to be so abrasive? Also, how much should he say? He wasn't sure Tifa wanted anyone to know, but the pilot was one of the members of AVALANCHE that didn't treat him differently based on his history or his (now former) transformations.

"I don't really know, Cid. I am really not good with all of the emotional stuff, you know this. I…I have always admired Tifa for her kindness and strength. With all that I have seen, the guilt that I feel, it is surprisingly refreshing to see someone so…_good._"

Cid smirked. "'Course it helps that the girl's so goddamn gorgeous. I mean, _damn_, Vinnie!"

Vincent threw the other man a dirty look. "While I must agree that Tifa is beautiful, must you be so crude, Highwind?"

The pilot gave Vincent a friendly punch on the arm. "Relax, Vince. I'm not tryin' to steal yer woman. Got my own lovely lady and I ain't got any intentions on lettin' her go."

"I'm glad to hear that, Cid," a gentle woman's voice said from the door nearest to the men. Shera appeared with a large thermos in her hand. "I'm no Tifa Lockhart, but it's good to know that at least my _husband_ thinks I'm pretty," she said jokingly.

Cid jumped up from his stool and bustled over to Shera, draping his coat over her shoulders. "Shit, Shera, what're you doin' out here in the cold? Dammit, woman, I don't want you gettin' sick!" he said, nudging her over to the space heater.

The mousy-haired woman laughed and gave Cid a gentle push. "I keep telling you, Cid, I'm pregnant, not a disabled porcelain doll!" She looked to Vincent and saw an amused look on his face. He stood and offered his seat to her.

"Such a gentleman, Vincent," she said smiling, "Thank you, but I'm not here to stay, I just wanted to drop off some hot coffee for you boys and to tell you not to work too hard."

Vincent nodded. "Thank you, Shera. We definitely appreciate it. We'll be finishing up soon."

"Alright. Don't let Cid bully you too much. He's really a softie on the inside, anyways. And Vincent?"

He looked up from pouring coffee to reach her gaze. "Yes?"

"I think it's lovely for you and Tifa to have each other. You two make a wonderful pair. I wish you all the luck in the world." With that, she headed back out into the snow and made the trek back to the house she shared with Cid.

"Ain't she great?" Cid said with a sappy look on his face. "An amazin' woman, that one."

"Mmm," Vincent muttered in agreement, taking a long sip of the coffee from Shera.

"Wish I'da seen it sooner…" the pilot said, somewhat ruefully.

"What do you mean?" Vincent asked, wondering if this humble man was the same Cid Highwind he had been working with all afternoon. The same Cid who could barely go a sentence without some sort of curse word in it.

"Shit, I was so horrible to her. A few years back, when Shin-Ra first started up the Space Program, Shera came out here from Junon to work with some of the other researchers here. Brilliant mind, that woman. Sharp as a tack. And, dammit, if I'd only listened to her about that effin' oxygen tank…" The blond pilot shook his head. "She tried to warn me, then tried to save my life without worryin' at all about hers. Damn woman woulda died for me to realize my dream. When that didn't work, she stuck around, puttin' up with my sorry ass. If only I'd gotten past my anger at her and realized what kind of person she was, I coulda saved both of us a lot of trouble."

"I see. Well, she is certainly a great woman. You are very fortunate to have someone like her."

"Damn skippy," Cid said with a grin. "I'm a lucky man."

"She really is an interesting girl. She's one of the few that don't shy away from my…appearance."

"Naw, that ain't true. You got a lotta people that like ya and care about ya, Vince. Shera's just one of 'em."

"Well, she was certainly unsure at first, but she was also one of the quickest to give me a chance. Much like Tifa, actually, now that I think about it."

"Aw, Vinnie, yer getting' all sentimental on me," Cid wiped a fake tear off of his cheek.

"Look who is talking, Highwind," Vincent shot back.

"Yeah, I'm goin' soft in my old age; I get it, Valentine. I'm telling ya, though," he said. "Shera's the best goddamned thing that happened to me. Give it a little time and you'll probably feel the same way about Miss Tifa."

Vincent shrugged. "I'm still unsure about the whole ordeal. I truly do like Tifa, but I…"

"She ain't fakin' it, sunshine. Tifa isn't cruel like that."

"Oh, no, not at all. She's…" he trailed off, trying to think of the proper adjective.

"She's Tifa. That about sums it up. Aerith may be the angel in the slums, but Tifa's the goddamn patron saint of the place. Everybody loves that girl."

"The benevolent goddess and caregiver of the poor and unfortunate," Vincent muttered to himself.

"Fancy way of saying 'mother hen'," snorted Cid. "She was always the 'mom' of the group. Her taking you in isn't a new phenomenon."

"I suppose that is part of my fear: that I am simply something that needs fixed and she needs to 'save' me. While that may all be true, I do not care to be thought of and treated that way."

"Naw," Cid said. "Tifa knows what she wants and, for once, she's lettin' herself have it."

"Unlike Cloud," Vincent said, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

"Obviously, she don't care about him as much as she does you, considerin' she never grabbed him up," Cid pointed out.

"Well, he was in love with Aerith…" Vincent began.

"That mighta been true back when we were all a group, but not before then. Cloud used to like her, but she didn't approach him about it and he never bothered to say anything."

"She still loves him," Vincent admitted. "She all but told me the other night."

"Bull," Cid said, in his usual delicate manner. "Tifa moved on years ago. She gave up on the old Cloud ever returning."

"Maybe…" Vincent said, not really agreeing. "I don't want to be Cloud's surrogate. I… I want to know that she is with me because she chose to do so, not because she decided to go with Plan B when Plan A fell through."

"Don't you see, though? She prob'ly feels the same 'bout you and being a stand-in for Lucrecia, y'know?"

Vincent dropped his gaze, staring at his lap. "I'm worried about that, too. Not only that she feels that way, but that I do, too." He looked back up at Cid, his crimson eyes shining with uneasiness. "What if that's how my mind sees her? What if the only reason I am drawn to Tifa is because I see Lucrecia there?" His fists were clenched as he tried to remain calm.

"Why, do they look alike? Yer old flame got big, honkin' knockers, too?" Cid said, trying to joke with the angry man.

Vincent just glared at him, but then thought about it. Did Tifa _really _resemble Lucrecia?

"This old ladyfriend of yours have long brown hair, too?" Cid asked.

"Yes," Vincent answered. "Well, Tifa's is darker and has almost a reddish hue to it in the light. Lucrecia's was lighter in color, but thicker," he said, remembering.

"Anything else about the two similar? Eyes?" Cid prodded.

"Well, Lucrecia's eyes were blue…"

"And Tifa's are brown. There ya go, completely different!" Cid said, as if that easily solved the conundrum.

"Cid, I doubt I can assuage any fear Tifa may have with that as my sole argument. 'Why, no, Tifa, you're not a Lucrecia substitute. No, really, you have different eyes, so all is well!'" he said sarcastically.

Cid laughed and punched Vincent in the arm again. "Who knew you could be funny, Vinnie?"

Vincent rolled his eyes at the nickname. "I understand what you're trying to get at, Cid, but I…"

"But, nothing!" Cid interrupted. "If ya really love her, the past won't matter to either of you. Go ahead and hold onto the good memories you had with that scientist lady, but know that that's all they are. Just memories. Then get off your miserable ass and go make some…memories…with Tifa," he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at the end of his statement, if only to annoy Vincent.

"I suppose you're right, Cid," Vincent said, standing up. "Shall we get back to work?"

Cid stood up as well, putting out the remains of his cigarette in the ashtray. "Nah. Ain't gonna goin' out much with the weather bein' all screwy, so let's just call it a day. Now," the pilot smirked and gave Vincent a friendly, if heavy-handed, slap on the back. "Get outta here and go be with your woman, Valentine!"

The following morning, Vincent awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. Shaking his head to get his long, wild hair out of his eyes, he sat up and answered.

"Hello?"

"Vince! Hey, it's Barret, man. Rise and shine there, Sleeping Beauty!" a boisterous voice said in his ear.

Vincent grunted. "What do you need, Barret?"

"You busy this week? We've got a bit of a problem here at one of the coal mines. Could use your help, man."

"What sort of problem? Another cave-in?" Vincent asked, concerned.

"Nah, we just ran across a nest of Bagnadranas. They've been okay for about a month now because they were small and young, so we could just shoo them away. Now, they're maturin' and their poison breath is really taking a toll on some of the workers," Barret responded. "Damn monsters are gettin' big and I'll tell ya, you don't wanna be on the business end of them claws!"

"So you need an exterminator? How soon do you need me there?"

"Yer the best, Valentine. We're closed up today. Give the workers a break and a chance to recover from bein' sick, but tomorrow mornin' oughta work just fine."

Vincent murmured some form of agreement and hung up. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to be more alert. As he had no formal job, he often did odds and ends jobs for others, usually his friends. Barret could be…irritating, but he paid Vincent a fair amount for his work and it was certainly better than consulting for the Turks.

After getting dressed, Vincent began packing for a few days in Corel.

_Tifa mentioned that Marlene and Denzel were in Corel with Barret. Perhaps she would like to come with me and visit with them?_

Vincent let himself grin a bit at the thought of Tifa. She loved those kids as if they were her own. If anything were to make her happy, it would be visiting with them for a day or two.

_I guess I should go invite her, then, yes?_

That afternoon, the bell over the door at Seventh Heaven jingled, alerting Tifa to her latest customer. She turned and, realizing it was Vincent, gasped in surprise.

"Vincent!? What are you doing here?" she asked as she tossed the rag she was using onto the bar and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Is this a bad time?" Vincent asked, looking unsure. "I can come back later if you prefer."

"Not at all!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I was just surprised. You've never visited me before!"

"Well, I suppose things are a little different than before," Vincent said, returning her embrace.

Tifa blushed, a shy smile appearing on her lips. "They most certainly are," she said. "Now, what can I do for you Mr. Valentine?"

Vincent rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I wanted to know what you were doing tomorrow."

Tifa smirked at his shyness. "Nothing special. Are you asking me on another date, Vincent?" she said in a teasing voice.

"Actually, I wanted to know if you would come with me to Corel. Barret called and said he needed some help, so I'm heading there tomorrow morning."

"Is everything okay?" her voice immediately went from joking to concerned.

"Nothing that cannot be handled. Just some monster trouble in the mines. I recall you mentioning that Marlene and Denzel were with Barret and I wondered if you would like to come with me. I am already heading out that way and I thought you may want to visit with them."

Tifa quickly pulled Vincent into a tight hug, squeezing as tight as she could. "Oh, Vincent, I'd love to! That would be so great! You are so sweet for thinking of me," she said, nuzzling into his neck.

Vincent cleared his throat in discomfort. Tifa was much stronger than her appearance made her out to be. "Of course. How long are they with Barret? Are they just there for school or…?"

Tifa's smile shrank a bit. "No, they're there permanently," she said with a hint of sadness. "Barret and I decided it was for the best. Corel is much safer and they actually have a proper school. It was difficult trying to balance running the bar and homeschooling them, especially with Cloud wandering in and out as he pleased." Her voiced darkened at the end, but she tried to brighten up. "The kids needed consistency in their lives. They shouldn't have to worry about who will take care of them and whether or not one of their 'parents' will even be there that day."

Vincent nodded, understanding. "That was very good of you, Tifa."

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth in a move that Vincent found both very appealing, but slightly worrying, as she only did it when she was upset.

"You miss them terribly, don't you?" Vincent asked quietly.

Tifa nodded. "I mean, they aren't my kids, but… yeah, I do miss them. It really is for the best, though. Barret has been seeing a woman for a while now and the kids adore her. They're even talking about officially adopting Denzel if and when they get married. He'll have real parents again." She tried to smile, but Vincent saw right through it and pulled her close.

"It's okay to be sad, Tifa," he said softly. She nodded and let him hold her for a few moments. After taking a deep breath, she pulled away slowly and looked up at Vincent.

"What will I need to bring? How long are we staying?" she said, changing the topic.

"Only a day or two. It doesn't sound too serious, so it should be a quick job. It's going to be an early morning, though. I hope that doesn't bother you."

Tifa nodded. "No, that's fine. Would it be easier if I just came over to your place tonight and we just left from there?"

Vincent cocked his head to the side, confused. "You want to spend the night?"

The martial artist blushed at the implication. "For convenience's sake. Rather than having to come get me in the morning."

Vincent's cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything, Tifa. I was just…"

"No, it's okay, Vincent," she said, cutting him off. "It was just a suggestion. I thought maybe I could come over, maybe cook us some dinner and we could just sort of…hang out?"

Wine-colored eyes met his crimson ones. It seemed an innocent enough request. "I suppose that would be nice. I've not had a good, home-cooked meal in a while, with the exception of the other night, of course."

The petite woman's eyes lit up again. "Give me a moment to pack some things and lock up, okay? I'll be done in a bit."

"What about the bar?" the gunner asked.

"Eh, it's a Tuesday. Nobody's ever around. I can do to shut the bar down for a couple of nights," she said as she closed up shop. She ran upstairs to get her things together. "I'll be down in a second!" she tossed over her shoulder.

Vincent settled down on a bar stool, pondering what had just happened. Was this too much, too soon?

Vincent's fears of awkward silences and the like were dissolved when he sat down to eat. Tifa had made an amazing pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans. She did most of the talking, but asked him questions and encouraged him to share his opinions often enough that she wasn't monopolizing the conversation.

"Is dinner okay?" Tifa asked him as she poured Vincent another glass of wine.

"Absolutely delicious," Vincent replied as he took another bite. Tifa smiled at his compliment.

"So," Tifa said, changing the subject. "Do you like living in Midgar?"

Vincent smirked. "Not overly, but what can you do? Kalm is quite the opposite nowadays with all of the people seeking refuge there from Meteor a few years ago. It's nice to have some quiet, but I'm sure I could do better."

"Makes sense. I've been there so long that I'm not quite sure where I would go otherwise. Nibelheim is just…too painful to go back to."

The gunman nodded his agreement. "I can relate. Why do you ask?"

Tifa shrugged. "I'm just curious. It's nice to think about living somewhere else. Besides," she paused.

Vincent raised an eyebrow, giving her an inquiring look.

The young woman took a breath and continued. "Without having to parent two children alone, I've had more time to keep the bar open. I've been saving up all that I can so that, someday soon, I can leave and live somewhere else. Somewhere new that doesn't hold such hurtful memories."

Vincent was taken aback. He knew Tifa was an independent woman, but he would've never pictured her leaving Midgar. "How does Cloud feel about this?" he asked.

Tifa frowned. "He doesn't know. Even if he were actually around to hear my plan, it's not like he can stop me. When everything is finalized, I'll tell him. How he reacts is his business, not mine. I'm ready to move on."

"Well, regardless of what he says, you will have the full support of your friends. Especially me," Vincent told her. "You need to do things for yourself, too. You cannot babysit Cloud forever."

"Ha!" she snorted. "Cheers to that, Vincent. I've given up on him. He doesn't want to be helped, so why should I try, only to be disappointed every time?"

Vincent found himself smiling at Tifa's newfound strength. "But, that still leaves the question of where you would go. Will you tell me so that I could visit you?" he asked.

Tifa looked up into his eyes and smiled. "I'll do you one better. How about you come with me?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **As wonderful as it would be, nothing involving Final Fantasy VII belongs, not to me, but the wonderful Square-Enix.

Vincent stared at the young woman in front of him, wondering if he heard incorrectly. "I-I'm sorry?" he stuttered, unsure of himself. "What do you mean?"

Tifa blushed again, but didn't break eye contact. "I mean, would you like to leave Midgar with me? I want to start over again in a new place. From the sounds of it, you want a fresh start, too. Why not come with me? We could be roommates. I mean, we all lived together on the _Highwind_ during the fight with Sephiroth, so it's not like we've never shared a living space before. What do you think?" she asked, sounding a little unsure.

"Uh…" Vincent was speechless. _Say something, idiot! Don't just sit there and gape like a fish out of water!_

"It's okay if you don't want to. It was just a suggestion. Don't feel like you have to," the martial artist said, her eyes slightly downcast.

"Tifa, I…" he started. _I what? I want to stay in Midgar? Seriously, think of it as a new chance._ Vincent considered this.

_What if she ends up hating living with you? Then where will you go?_ The unsure part of Vincent's mind shot back.

_Then we deal with it then. If anything, at least we leave this hellhole. Who knows? Maybe this is the first step in the right direction for you. _The logical part of his mind countered the nervous one.

He took a deep breath. "Well, how do you feel about Junon?"

Tifa gawked at Vincent. "Wh-what?" she stammered. "What about Junon?"

"I mean," he answered, his calm voice masking his true nerves. "Would Junon be an acceptable place to live?"

"You mean you'll come with me?" Tifa said, sounding cautiously hopeful.

Vincent wished he had his cloak with him so he could hide his face. Instead, he took a breath to steady himself and said, "As you said, there's nothing holding either of us here in Midgar. A change from this place could be…nice?"

Tifa gave him a small smile and studied his face, trying to read his emotions. "You really mean it?" she said, her chianti eyes beginning to sparkle with excitement.

Vincent shrugged. "I can find work pretty much anywhere. As long as we can find a place, I don't see why not."

"And we can just be roommates, if you're more comfortable with that," she said. Realizing how it may have sounded, she hurriedly added, "Not that I only want to be roommates with you, Vincent. I mean, I'd love to be more. I just meant for the beginning we could…"

Vincent held up a hand to cut her off. Her cheeks turned bright pink. "I know what you mean, Tifa," he said, giving her a small, good-natured smile. _She's blushing again. It's actually kind of cute on her. She seems to genuinely want me around so maybe, just maybe, this will work out better than I originally thought._

"Why Junon?" her question brought him back to the conversation.

He shrugged again. "Obviously Nibelheim is out," he said as Tifa nodded in quiet agreement. "And places such as Mideel and Fort Condor are still recovering from all of the damages from Shin-Ra and the Weapons, respectively. Kalm has been anything but calm since Meteor. Being closest to Midgar, many were evacuated there to try to avoid Meteor."

"Cosmo Canyon would be nice, but I don't know about having to climb all of those ladders day in and day out. I have no idea how Red does it, but I think I'll pass!" Tifa added with a small chuckle.

"Understandable. The area is somewhat difficult to traverse, as well. Between the forest and the canyon itself…" he trailed off.

"Not Icicle Inn, either," Tifa added. "Or Costa del Sol. They're beautiful places to visit, but I don't care for the extreme temperatures. Not to mention the tourists!"

Vincent smirked. "While I do a lot of work with Cid and Barret, I don't know if I'd stay in Rocket Town or Corel permanently."

"Aww, no Wutai either, then?" Tifa said with a fake pout on her lips.

"As much as I appreciate Yuffie's help in past endeavors, I don't know if I can tolerate the 'White Rose of Wutai' on a regular basis," he said evenly.

His seriousness, while pretend, still made Tifa giggle. "She has quite the crush on you, Vince. I don't think she'll be very happy to find that I've snagged you instead!" The petite brunette laughed again.

Vincent found that he rather liked seeing Tifa laugh. Not only was it wonderful to see her truly laugh out loud, but her joy seemed to be infectious, with even the gunman giving her a smile. And to see her so happy about having laid her claim to him? He felt his heart move up into his throat and his stomach begin to flutter at her implications.

As Tifa's giggle faded out, Vincent realized that the bar was still empty, even with it being 8:00 already.

"Tifa? Are you not opening the bar tonight?" he asked.

She looked up at the clock and thought for a moment. "Nah," she answered. "It's always dead on Tuesdays, anyways."

"Fair enough," Vincent said and the two continued their banter about where NOT to live. Bone Village? Too isolated. Gongaga? Not nice enough. Near the Gold Saucer? Too expensive.

"I guess Junon is a winner, then," Tifa said eventually.

"Tifa," Vincent said softly. He tentatively took her hand in both of his. "Are- are you sure this is what you want? Will this make you happy?"

Tifa gave him a half-smile. "I need to move on from here, Vincent. I've only ever lived here and in Nibelheim, and neither of them are particularly good at reminding me of happy memories. Besides," she added. "As long as I have you, I won't be alone in a new place. I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me."

He nodded in agreement. "Have you given any thought to what you will do when you get there? Like I said, I can find work almost anywhere, and Junon has a lot of opportunities. Will you open a new bar?"

Tifa thought for a moment. "It's certainly an option. I still have to think on it."

"What else would you do?" Vincent asked, somewhat intrigued.

The young woman blushed and looked away, suddenly shy. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"Tifa, you know I would never make fun of you," he said gently.

"Well, I've always wanted to try something new. I mean, running a bar is fun, but is it really what I want to do forever?" she said. "I'd like to find something that I really love to do."

"What did you have in mind, then?" Vincent said encouragingly.

"Well…it's kind of silly, but I was thinking of setting up a school for martial arts. Like my teacher, Master Zangan, had back in Nibelheim. He had students from all over the world that would come to Nibelheim for the sole purpose of training with him. Master Zangan did so much for me. He rescued me from the reactor after I was wounded by Sephiroth," she said. Vincent noticed her left hand was resting on her chest, near her breastbone. He realized she likely had a large scar left from Sephiroth's wicked blade.

"He saved my life," she continued softly. "He was the one who protected me and many others when the town burned to the ground. He brought me to Midgar to be healed when he realized he couldn't do it himself. Shin-Ra had better medical technology, so he fixed me up as best as he could then, made the journey here."

Vincent didn't know what to say. He knew some of this, other parts he had guessed at. He just held her hand as tears formed in her eyes.

_How can one person be so strong after so much has happened to her? To go through the hell that this woman has is bad enough, but to still remain hopeful for humanity? After all that she has seen? I don't know whether to call her optimistic or a fool._

Vincent stole a glance at Tifa. She still had tears in her eyes, but none had fallen. She simply sat in her chair, stiff as a board, but determined not to cry.

"Tifa, you know that it's okay to cry, right? You don't have to put on a show for me," he said gently.

The barmaid's shoulders slumped and she brought a hand to her forehead and massaged her temples.

Vincent scooted his chair over and placed a tentative, yet comforting, hand on her shoulder. "Tifa, you are the strongest woman that I've ever known. Having emotions will never draw away from that. There's no need to pretend to be happy ALL of the time. I know you do it for everyone else, but…"

Tifa took a deep breath to steady herself. "I know, Vincent, but I don't just fake it for everyone else's sakes. I mean, of course I'm supposed to be the optimistic one here; at least in our friends' eyes. It's not just them. I feel like… if I could only keep up the brave, perky façade long enough, perhaps I can even trick myself into believing that I truly am content with life."

Vincent was silent, wanting to ask how that would possibly work, but not wanting to upset her even more. She did it for him, though.

"Gee, Tifa, how's that working out for you?" she said in a mocking, deep, sarcastic tone. She laughed humorlessly. "It isn't, Vincent. It doesn't make sense, I know, but it's just what my coping mechanism is," she answered. "I know that moving sounds like I'm running away, and maybe, in a way, I am."

"You aren't running, Tifa. You're moving forward, like you said earlier. You need a change of pace. Some free time and space to do what's best for you."

His response was a sniffle from the woman next to him. He stood and pulled her up with him.

"Tifa," he said as he pulled her into a strong embrace. "You're doing the right thing. You're thinking for yourself for once. It's what you deserve."

"You're right, Vince," she said, pulling away slightly. "I just need to do something for myself. And I'm glad that you will be there with me when…"

She was cut off by the sound of the back door closing loudly. A head of blond, spiky hair poked through the doorway.

"Hey, Teef, I'm hoooo… oh, hey, Vincent. What are you doing here so late?"

The pair pulled apart with Tifa blushing. "Um, hey Cloud," she said. "I didn't know you'd be back so soon."

"Yeah, not a whole lot of packages today, so deliveries didn't take long," he replied. "Tifa, are you okay? Your eyes are all red." He looked at Vincent with eyes full of mistrust.

Tifa glanced at Vincent. The look on her face told him that she hadn't told Cloud about them yet.

"Tifa had a rough time with a customer earlier. No need to worry, though. He's been… taken care of," Vincent said calmly.

"Thanks, Vincent. Tifa, you're alright then?" the ex-SOLDIER asked.

"Yeah, Cloud, I'm fine now. Vincent was here to look after me," she told him.

"Well, it is getting late. As long as you are feeling better, Tifa, I think I will be heading home," Vincent said quietly.

"Right. Well, thank you for your help, Vincent. I really appreciate it," Tifa told him. He could see in her eyes that she didn't really want him to go, but he felt uncomfortable with Cloud there. The shorter man was still looking at him warily so he felt it best to leave before he got upset. Besides, Tifa would want to talk to him privately.

"Oh, Vincent, what time will you be picking me up to go to Corel?" she asked him as he turned to go.

"I will be here around 7:30. Does that work for you?"

Tifa nodded. "I'll see you then," she said as Cloud studied her with a confused look on his face.

Wanting to avoid the awkward silence and an argument with Cloud, Vincent turned on his heel and headed out the door into the cold night.

A few hours later, Vincent found himself lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, unable to find sleep. While nervous, he had actually been looking forward to Tifa staying over. He didn't want to say anything in front of Cloud in case Tifa was embarrassed or he would get upset. While he didn't care for how Cloud treated Tifa, he also didn't want to get her stuck in an uncomfortable situation with him.

_Besides, maybe she doesn't want him to know about you. She might be embarrassed to tell anyone about your relationship._

Vincent shook his head to dispel any negative thoughts.

_Tifa outright told me that she was over Cloud, so there is no need to worry there. The problem is how Cloud feels, not Tifa. She truly seems to care about me more than anyone else ever has._

He couldn't help but feel a little bit warmer inside while thinking of her. Was he dreaming or did he really agree to move in with her?

_Wonder what that'll be like. Probably awkward, to begin with. We'll be more than roommates, but not quite at the point of being a couple living together. But, imagine what it would be like if we DID reach that point…_

Vincent's mind wandered back to the other day when he caught Tifa doing her morning stretches. He certainly wouldn't mind seeing her like that on a fairly regular basis; that was for sure.

_I really shouldn't think of her that way. She is so much more than that. She's kind, and loving, and she can see past what I used to be and cares for me anyways. But still…_

Thinking back on their original journey together, he realized that he had admired Tifa for quite a long time. Learning what happened to her mother, her father, her hometown… all could have very easily worn her down. Instead, she came out on top, seemingly stronger than ever. He had lost all faith in humanity while she fought to show that there was still good in the world.

_And what a fighter she is…_ he mused to himself. He became lost in memories of watching Tifa relentlessly taking down any dangers their ragtag group came across. No man, nor monster, would even dare to block her path again after facing her. That is, if they could stand afterwards. Vincent smirked at the ceiling. Tifa was the kind of girl who would kick your ass into next week and you'd enjoy it the entire time. Watching her fight was akin to observing a dancer or an acrobat performing. Her balance and grace were without flaw, allowing her to remain standing while rebounding an opponent's strength back to them to take them down. How amazing it was to see the petite woman toss around a man nearly twice her size.

Tifa was strong, without a doubt. He wanted to take away the reasons that she needed to be strong, though. Take away the suffering she had endured so she no longer needed to hide her pain. After all, she was doing the same for him. She fought his doubt and guilt, especially when he mentioned his past. He loved the ferocity in her burgundy eyes as she insisted that he was not a monster, even when she knew of his mistakes, the experiments, and his demons. Her face would flush and her full lips would pucker into a scowl when she was being stubborn. She could put Cid in his place when it was necessary and could throw as many snide remarks back at him as he did to her. She was the only one capable of going toe to toe with Barret and walk away without being riddled with bullet holes. And though he would likely never admit it to her, it was probably one of the times when he found her even more irresistible.

She was in charge, whether she knew it or not. She could command the entire group to stay in line and focus on their target, but also coddle and care for them when they were ill or injured. Her eyes would soften and that pretty mouth of hers would turn into a comforting smile, regardless of how she was feeling. Without her, they probably would never have made it as far as they had.

He sighed. _How has someone so good decided to care for me? _ He remembered back to a day on the _Highwind_ after a particularly nasty battle.

_He, Tifa, and Yuffie were on night watch outside of Rocket Town before they met Cid. Vincent had only recently joined the group, but Tifa had always given him a warm welcome and tried to make him feel comfortable around everyone, even when the others were still unsure and afraid of him. He had volunteered to guard the camp for the night while the others rested. Tifa offered to take the first shift and was going to switch with Yuffie for the next shift. The young ninja couldn't sleep, however, and joined them at the fire early. A pack of Nibel wolves had attacked the campsite, however, and Tifa and Vincent were forced to fight them off. Yuffie had panicked and had run back to the airship to alert the crew, so it was just the two of them._

_It was the first time he'd seen the martial artist in battle. He'd mostly been paired with Nanaki, the red, lion-like creature up until then. He was mildly surprised at the power and skill that Tifa had shown while she sent a volley of punches at the largest wolf. She did not, however, notice the second wolf descending upon her. In a flash, Vincent had leapt over in front of her, acting as a shield against the wolf's attack. Tifa was unharmed, though Vincent had obtained several deep gashes, one of which crossed one side of his face. Checking the area to see if any other monsters were around, he saw only the bodies of the other four that he and Tifa had defeated._

"_Vincent," Tifa had said. "You're bleeding! We need to get back to the ship!" She sounded worried. Before he could explain his fast healing rate, she had all but dragged him back to the _Highwind._ She pulled him into her tiny room and quickly gathered her first aid kit. Using a damp washcloth, she made to wipe away the blood on his face so that she could survey the damage._

"_Tifa, this really isn't necessary," he had told her._

_But she was having none of it. "Hush, Vincent. I know you like to hide from us behind your cloak, but you need to let me see your face so that I can fix you up." Without another word, she had quickly unbuckled his high-collared cloak. She pulled it away and began to wash the blood away. As she did, she gasped in surprise, leaving Vincent looking and feeling embarrassed and shameful._

_There was no wound. It was as if his face had never been touched._

"_It-it's gone!" she whispered, sounding frightened._

_Vincent had sighed and dropped his gaze to his hands which were resting in his lap. "Tifa, remember when I told you and the others that Hojo…modified me? About the demons he put inside me?" When she nodded wordlessly, he had continued. "I heal at an incredibly fast rate as a result of these experiments. I will likely completely healed before the sun even rises. So, please, do not worry over me. It isn't worth it for you to waste your time on the likes of me - a monster."_

_The shock had faded from her eyes and her nose crinkled up slightly. She frowned at him and put her hand on his chin, pulling it up so she could look into his eyes._

"_Don't you dare think that, Vincent. I know that we've only known each other a little while, but I know that there is no way that you are a monster. You are a good man who had a horrifying experience with a madman. You are different, sure, but you are NOT a monster," she said firmly. He had looked into her eyes, so similar to his own. Her crimson eyes lost some of their fire when they began to form tears._

_Not wanting to see her cry, Vincent tried to change the subject. "Thank you for your help, Tifa. It is refreshing to know that there are still good people in this world," he said as he took her Cure materia. "Now, let us get you patched up and you can get some sleep. Oh, and please forgive my fumbling; it has been a while since I last used materia, and I was never particularly talented with healing spells."_

_He healed her wounds with the Cure materia. None were deep, so it didn't take much effort on his part. When he turned to go, Tifa placed a hand on his cheek. She quietly wiped the remaining blood from where his head wound had previously been and gave him a nervous smile._

Vincent remembered how his heart had sped up. It had been the first time a woman had touched him since Hojo locked him in that damn box.

_Vincent fought the urge to pull her close, though the demons with whom he shared a body with were certainly egging him on to do more. She was so warm, so soft compared to his hard, icy exterior. He longed to touch her back, but he knew he would only scare her away._

_At that moment, Barret had burst in to Tifa's room, demanding to know if they were okay. Tifa stood and calmly explained what had happened. Vincent had noticed that she didn't mention their wounds or, more specifically, how his wounds had vanished._

He knew she was protecting him. She had wanted to give _him_ the choice to reveal this part of himself, not ruin his privacy by telling everyone. They all found out eventually, but the fact that she kept his secret made him respect her.

Vincent closed his eyes, partly in an attempt to sleep, but mostly to try to relive that time on the airship again. He tried to see her eyes again, so full of emotion and passion as she refused to believe that he was anything less than human. He attempted to feel her hand on his face as she dabbed at the blood on his forehead. The way she looked at him as she scrubbed, with her features expressing both worry and concentration. Did she feel what he did at the time? He remembered finding it difficult to breathe and how it became quite warm in the small cabin he had been in.

He felt a stirring in his pajama bottoms and groaned softly to himself. Now it would be even harder to fall asleep.

He barely drifted off when he heard a knock on his door. He grumbled to himself as he pulled a shirt on to go answer it, relieved that his "problem" was no longer visible through his pants. Who in the world would be knocking at this hour?

He pulled the door open to an interesting surprise.

Tifa Lockhart was standing on his doorstep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry for the short chapter. I couldn't find a good stopping point and I wanted to have an update posted. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement!

**Disclaimer: **As wonderful as it would be, nothing involving Final Fantasy VII belongs, not to me, but the wonderful Square-Enix.

It took Vincent a moment to register what was happening. He had opened the heavy door to find Tifa there with a suitcase in each hand. Confusion turned to worry when he saw her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Feeling suddenly overprotective of her, he pulled her to his chest and held her.

"Come in and sit. I'll get your things, Tifa." His response was a sniffle and a nod from the woman.

Vincent quickly collected Tifa's belongings, wondering briefly how on earth she was able to carry both of them at the same time. It seemed as though she had brought everything that she owned. He put them aside and hurried to the living room where his new houseguest was waiting for him.

He placed a soft blanket around her shoulders and wrapped an arm around her. "Would you like me to make you some tea or anything?" he asked for a lack of knowing what else to do.

Tifa sniffled again and shook her head. "Thanks, Vincent, but I really just need you to hold me for a little while," she said as she curled up close to him with her head resting on her shoulder.

Vincent swallowed. He'd never been in a situation quite like this before. He placed his hand on her back and patted it in a (hopefully) reassuring manner.

_I know that she is upset and I have no idea of what to do or say, but is it wrong to enjoy having her lean on me like this?_

He tilted his head to rest against hers. She'd stopped crying, at least for the time being, and he felt slightly relieved. Vincent exhaled a breath that he didn't realize he was holding then, sat up straighter. He gently placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head up to meet her eyes.

"Tifa," he said quietly, concerned. "What's going on? Are you hurt? Please, tell me what is wrong. Perhaps I can help?"

The martial artist took a breath to steady herself before speaking. "I'm so sorry, Vincent. I don't mean to barge in like this, but I couldn't think of where else to go."

"Did Cloud kick you out?" he asked incredulously. "That is _your_ home, not his and he has no business…"

"Vincent," Tifa interjected. "He didn't kick me out; I left."

"Tifa, you are always welcome here, but why did you leave? I don't understand."

The girl's shoulders sagged slightly. "Cloud, he…"

His eyes flashed with anger. _If Cloud had dared to lay a hand on her, I just may kill him._

Seeing the look on his face, Tifa hurriedly added, "It's not like that, Vincent. He didn't hit me or anything."

Some of the fury left Vincent's face. He nodded stiffly, telling Tifa to continue.

"Vincent, after you left, Cloud and I talked for a little while. He mentioned that he wasn't comfortable with you being over with me alone. He can get overprotective, sometimes," she explained. "I told him that, first of all, I was a grown woman and could do whatever the hell I wanted to, but also that he had no right to keep me from my loved ones. He…didn't react well."

Vincent stiffened a bit and pursed his lips, determined not to interrupt. He simply rubbed Tifa's shoulder assuringly.

"Please don't get upset, Vince. I handled everything, so there's no need to get mad."

"Tifa, just tell me, okay? I promise that I will listen and try not to get upset."

"Cloud said," she started. After taking another calming breath, she continued. "Cloud told me that he loved me, Vincent."

Vincent's heart shattered at her words. His stomach felt heavy and he fought the urge to just get up and leave. His heart screamed at him to flee and avoid getting even more hurt, but his mind convinced him to try to stay level-headed. There had to be a rational explanation, no? He took a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. She may have just destroyed any hope that he had had that everything would work out and he would finally have someone to love and have that love be returned, but he at least wanted to retain _some_ of his dignity. He would remain calm so she would not see his pain and fear at her words.

_I knew it was too good to be true. Of course Cloud would snatch her right up. He wants what is not his and the moment it is almost gone forever, he pounces. Tifa, she's been fawning over him for years. It's only natural for her to choose him over me._

_But then, why is she here? Wouldn't she have stayed with Cloud and just told me to take a hike?_

Her sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Vincent?" she was saying. "Don't blank out on me now; I'm not done!"

His mouth had gone completely dry. He licked his lips in an attempt to remoisten them and cleared his throat. "Do go on, Tifa. I'm sure this story will be very…enlightening," he said sarcastically. Vincent swallowed hard, trying to fight the tears that were forming in his crimson eyes.

"Vincent…" Tifa said, frowning. "I'm almost positive that this isn't going where you think it is." She softened and placed a hand on his cheek. "Vincent, you do realize that I'm here with you, right? Not with Cloud?"

Vincent nearly winced at the sound of Cloud's name. He had no response, so he just sat as still and stiff as a statue.

Tifa continued, carefully gauging his reaction as she spoke. "As you know, Cloud has always waltzed in and out of my life whenever he so desired." Vincent nodded curtly, indicating that she should carry on.

"Until about a week before our get-together, Cloud had been gone. Just up and left for almost five months."

Vincent rolled his eyes. It was par for the course with the blond ex-SOLDIER. He had the innate ability to hurt Tifa, whether he was there or not. _So why would she go running back into his arms? Surely she remembers what happens. She's certainly smarter than that._

"After you left, Cloud got all serious and stuff. Said he wanted to talk to me about something. At first, I was scared, thinking he was sick or something and needed help. Instead, he talks about how he worries about me being alone at the bar with men around. I was immediately pissed at him, especially for practically chasing you off. I yelled at him, telling him that if he were ever actually around, I wouldn't be forced to work the bar alone."

Vincent nearly smirked at the thought of Tifa telling Cloud off. He almost wished that he could have seen it in person.

"Then, out of nowhere, he's all teary-eyed and apologizing! He told me that he wanted a second chance. 'More like _millionth_ chance!' I told him!" Tifa's cheeks were flushed with anger. "Apparently, his 'soul-searching' made him realize his true feelings and that he never truly loved Aerith. He just cared for her because of his memories getting mixed up with Zack's or some bullshit excuse like that. He explained to me that I was the only one he ever truly loved and he wanted us to take a shot at a relationship. The nerve of him!" she said mockingly.

He didn't want to admit it, but Vincent was pleased that Tifa was so worked up about all of this. She was finally expressing her frustration that she'd pent up for the past few years.

"I don't really see where I fit in, though," he said to a fuming Tifa. At this, she smiled softly, closed her eyes, and gently shook her head.

"Don't you, Vincent?" She rolled her eyes almost playfully when he didn't answer. "Oh, Vincent, I've been over Cloud for years. He's not the guy that I loved all of those years ago. That man is gone and will never come back and, to be honest, I simply got fed up with waiting. Vince…I didn't choose Cloud. I don't _want_ Cloud and I never will."

Vincent looked startled, almost looking at Tifa like a deer caught in headlights.

"I came here because I choose you, Vincent. _You_ are the one that I want, not him." She paused, allowing him to respond.

"Why were you crying over him the other night?" Vincent asked, not quite ready to feel hopeful.

Tifa bowed her head to stare into her lap. "I've been under a lot of stress lately, Vincent. Seventh Heaven is getting popular, which is great, but I can't handle it alone. At the same time, I can't afford to hire any more help. I've not been sleeping much and I'm just so worn out. Between all of that and having to give up Marlene and Denzel, my nerves have just been completely frazzled," she explained. "And… just because I am over Cloud, doesn't mean that I'm over my fears of love. Nobody wants to get their heart broken; especially not twice."

Vincent could follow that logic. He knew as well as she did what a broken heart felt like. They both knew what it was like to watch their lover walk away with someone else, seemingly unhurt.

_Lucrecia… Did you ever know how I truly felt? You seemed to care, yet you had no problem leaving me behind. And for what? Hojo? Your career? I would have given you anything that you asked for, everything that I owned. And Tifa, you would have done the same for Cloud, once upon a time. Now here we are, the two of us, hurt and fearful. Where do we go from here?_

"Why didn't he say anything sooner?" Vincent asked, handing Tifa a tissue to dry her eyes.

She accepted it and said, "I think he can tell that I have feelings for you." Tifa scrunched up the tissue and stuck it in her pocket. "He probably wanted to snap me up before you got the chance. Always wants what he can't have. He's too late, of course," she finished with tiny smirk.

Vincent found himself looking into her eyes, noting a mischievous glint to them. He must have had an odd look on his face because Tifa momentarily seemed confused. She cocked her head to the side and smiled. "He _is_ too late, is he not, Vincent?" she asked jokingly.

The stoic man gazed at the woman beside him. "Tifa," he said. "I do not have much to offer you. All that I have is myself, and I am nowhere close to being the man that you deserve."

To his simultaneous delight and dismay, the beauty next to him all but jumped on him and hugged him tightly. He hesitated, unsure of what to do then, brought his arms around her to return her embrace.

"Oh, Vincent! Don't say things like that," she said while tightly squeezing him.

"I just don't want you thinking that this will work out like a fairy tale. I am not very good at sweeping women off their feet and riding off into the sunset or whatever it is that they do in those stories. I may no longer be a monster, but I am certainly no handsome prince."

Tifa pulled away from him slightly to look him in the eyes. She brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen onto his face. Her hand lingered lightly on his cheek.

"I happen to think you are _quite_ handsome, Mr. Valentine. I wish you didn't hide behind your cloak and your hair so that I could admire your looks more," she said in a teasing manner. She touched his bottom lip with her thumb. "As for the prince part? Well, I never really cared for fairy tales, anyway. I say we forget about it and just do what we want. Do what feels right, you know?"

"I do not want to disappoint you, Tifa," Vincent answered. "I seem to ruin anything that I touch."

"You're touching me right now, aren't you? Do you think that I'm ruined?" she asked with a half-smile on her face.

_Idiot! What the hell did you say that for?_

"Never! I simply meant to express that my luck has been limited in my past endeavors and relationships. You could never be ruined, Tifa. You are… wonderful. It is I who…" he was cut off by a finger placed firmly on his lips, silencing him.

"Enough. I don't want to hear your negativity. I've had enough of it for the night," she said indignantly. "I'm done listening to you put yourself down for every little thing."

"But I…" he began.

"No! No 'buts'!" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What if…?" he tried once more. He was silenced again by Tifa placing her lips on his.

When his head stopped spinning, Vincent gave up fighting – for now. He just wanted her to know what she was getting into. He was not your typical man. His past was riddled with shadows and agony (He _was _a Turk after all). The thought of her leaving him because of his past was realistic, at least, to him it was. The pain he would be forced to endure after that? Unthinkable. But did this sweet girl understand what she was getting into?

A gentle nip on his lower lip pushed his worries to the back of his mind for the time being. The couple separated momentarily but remained close enough that their foreheads were resting against one another.

"Tifa-," he breathed.

"Vincent, I don't care about your past. Any mistakes that you've ever made - I don't mind. Galian, Hellmasker, Gigas, Chaos… even if they were still a part of you, I would accept it. _You_ are all that matters." She emphasized her point by kissing him again.

_Gaia… what did I finally do right to deserve this woman?_ His mind raced as he returned her kiss. Their tongues intertwined while their hands roamed each other's bodies, exploring the new territory. He ran his fingers through her long dark hair while curling his other arm around her waist to draw her in closer. In one fluid motion, she swung one of those long, graceful legs of hers over him, straddling his lap. He tried (and failed) to suppress a groan as she brushed against the growing bulge in his pajama pants.

She looped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him with her nose. She kissed his cheek and worked her way down his jawline to his neck. Vincent tilted his head to the side to give her easier access. Her lips brushed his collarbone and he sighed softly.

"Vincent? Are you okay?" she asked, pulling back slightly to study him.

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Tifa, I could not be better. I just don't know if we should move too quickly." His ears burned with embarrassment as he muttered the last of his sentence.

Tifa giggled with a slight blush on her face as well. "We can stop if you want, Vincent. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"It's just that," the gunman said as he shifted uneasily. "Well, I… it has been quite some time since I've engaged in such, er, relations. I wouldn't want to be a disappointment." He looked away, unable to meet her gaze. He used to be much smoother than this, as a Turk. Not that he was a ladies' man – far from it. His social skills had certainly rusted over the span of three decades and, naturally, his confidence was certainly lacking.

"Oh, Vince," the young woman said softly. "You won't be. I'm not that experienced, either. We'll learn from each other. Besides," she grinned. "Practice makes perfect, right?"

Not knowing how to answer, Vincent simply pulled her in close in a tight embrace and stroked her hair.

"Hey, Vincent?" he heard her mumble against his neck. She sat back a bit to look at him. "Did you mean what you said earlier? About moving to Junon?"

"Of course, Tifa. I wouldn't play around in a situation like this. I'm unsure and nervous, though I'm sure that's to be expected of both of us. I am absolutely serious, though." He paused, and then slowly added, "Are you certain that it is what you want?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have asked you in the first place, silly," Tifa responded with a smirk. The grin faded slightly as she continued. "To be honest, I was going to just pack up and leave, but talking to you made me realize that I DO have people that care about me and that I can't just leave without saying anything. And then…" she trailed off.

"Then what?" he urged gently.

"Then the other night happened. I realized that I'd felt something for you for a while now and I didn't want to leave you behind. We live in the same damn city and I hadn't even seen you in months. I thought about you all the time, though. It was actually seeing you the other night that made me think."

Vincent nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"Seeing you and especially spending those few hours with you made me reconsider my plans. I still wanted to sell the bar and move, but I wasn't sure that I wanted to leave Midgar and be all on my own."

Vincent was taken aback for a moment. "You'd stay in Midgar, just for the chance to see _me_?" he asked, shocked.

Tifa grinned sheepishly. "I know. It sounds stupid now, especially out loud, but even though you were distant, you were always here if I needed help. If anything happened, you were only a quick train ride away."

"But Cloud was here to help you most of the time, so you didn't need me," he said quietly.

"No, Vincent, he wasn't," she responded shortly. "He was never here. He left us, his only family, much more than he stayed around."

"I was never around, either," he reminded her.

She considered that. "No, you weren't _close_, but you weren't out chasing ghosts. You were moving on and living your life. And somehow, I knew that you would be there in an instant if we needed you. You may seem cold and distant to others, but I know you really do care about us."

Vincent didn't know how to respond, but Tifa continued, filling the gap. "I didn't know how you felt about me, but I figured that I could still ask you to come with me. At the very least, you could use me as an excuse to leave Midgar behind."

"I don't need an excuse to leave Midgar. I refused Rufus' offer to join his new Turks organization. No matter how good their intentions are, I do not trust them. Most of my work is doing odd jobs and errands, sometimes quite far from Midgar. I can leave at any time without it affecting my work. There's just…"

The woman in his lap cocked her head, confused. "Just what, Vincent?"

He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. "There's always been something holding me here. Any time that I considered leaving, there was always a reason that I stayed and…" He paused and took a deep, nervous breath. "Well, I never wanted to be too far away. What I mean is… I'm beginning to think that _you_ are the reason that I stayed."


End file.
